Humanity
by Orpah
Summary: Australia has been captured by Japan. He thinks it cannot get worse than being a POW, but he is quickly proven wrong when he is brought into a prison of sorts with Hong Kong and China. Rated for language and torture, WWII alternate history story
1. Chapter 1

You know how ages ago I put up a poll about whether or not to do an alternate history story? Well… here it is. It's not perfect historically speaking, but I thought it would make for an interesting story. Enjoy!

I don't own Hetalia! End/AN/

It wasn't the whole of Australia that had been conquered. Just the edges, the ports, the big cities… and yet it was all Japan needed, because soon enough he had found Australia himself and dragged him out of his barricade like a dog on a leash.

Australia fought him hard. Very hard. His hand was already thoroughly burned, and his stomach swirled in his gut, setting off nerve endings like a match lighting the tips on fire.

He only saw cold eyes from Japan himself, who looked on like he was some mutt that had just been pulled off a pile of refuse. It was as though he didn't even appear human to Japan.

He got slashed across the face for staring, with the warning, 'Next time, it will be your head.'

England had to know about this. He had to be sitting in his bomb-wrecked home and bemoaning the loss of Australia, and soon New Zealand as well. The Australian troops abroad must have had their hearts shattered like movie glass.

He didn't remember a lot after that, since he lost a lot of blood. It felt feverish and dark, the desperate cries of men trapped in Hell filtering in through his ears; the smell of fear and death coming through his nose.

When he truly woke, he was sprawled on a concrete floor, and someone was dabbing at his forehead.

His eyes opening caused a gasp from the person, who uttered, "He's awake! China, he's awake!"

"That's what you thought yesterday," came the calm and utterly dead voice, and Australia couldn't believe it was China; he had some history with the man, and he could still recall the heated arguments they'd got in over immigration.

His vision cleared, and he saw a bruised Hong Kong kneeling in front of him. Hong Kong had a split lip, whether split from dehydration or being hit, it wasn't clear. His dark eyes were on Australia, lit up just a little, like an oil lantern with the wick turned down.

"Hong Kong…?" It came out gravelly, like his throat had something in it trying to block him from speaking. Yes, Hong Kong… he had been taken on Christmas. Canada had been there, and he had told the story with his head hanging low.

_'I couldn't save him. I couldn't hold off Japan. And now, that bastard is going to tear Hong Kong apart.'_

He looked torn apart. His hands were trembling as he pushed back Australia's hair from his face, and he gave a mirthless smile. "Yes, I'm Hong Kong. Australia, we thought you were going to die!"

"He's going to die anyway," China said helpfully.

Hong Kong's lips trembled, and he pressed them tightly together.

"Hey, there was no call for that!" Australia protested, sitting up. "Of course I'm not going to die! Have you even seen the wildlife at my place? If they can't kill me, neither can Japan."

China met his gaze, eyes flatly devoid of fire for the argument. "We're the three of us going to die. All they have to do is figure out how."

Hong Kong looked even more trembling, so Australia pulled him close with his good hand. They weren't the closest of siblings, but they had both been trouble for England in one way or another. Hong Kong pressed against his chest, and his trembling seemed to spread into Australia.

Australia glared at China, stating, "Well, with that attitude, of course _you're_ going to die. The only way to survive is to believe that you can. And damnit, we can!"

China looked at him like he was stupid. "You don't even know where you are, do you?"

"Well, no—"

"You're in a laboratory. The entire goal of this laboratory is to find out what kills us, and the easiest way to do it." China was in a ragged uniform, red armband around his upper arm. He had no shoes, his feet instead bound up in rags.

"Well, they're not going to win. I'm not going to die here," Australia insisted, holding Hong Kong tightly. The boy appeared to be all of twelve years old.

China looked over at him darkly, stating, "When they're through with you, you'll wish you would die."

Australia didn't know what to say to that, so he just held onto Hong Kong tightly.

* * *

It had been only a few hours before men in white coats turned up, each holding a syringe in hand. Hong Kong had whimpered, hiding his face in Australia's chest.

"Hey, the fuck do you think you're doing?" Australia said, trying to shield him, but a pair of guards started shouting at him and pulled them apart.

Hong Kong sat frozen, fear in his eyes, as Australia was held back.

"What are you doing? China, what are they doing?" Australia turned his head to look at China, seeing the nation with his face buried in his hands.

"Salt," China said simply, refusing to look up.

They injected him, about 10 injections of what appeared to be salty water. Australia watched in horror, until they were done and they released him. He dashed to Hong Kong's side, where the boy was lying like a rag doll.

"Hong Kong? Hong Kong, you have to be all right! Answer me!" Australia lifted him up into a sitting position, holding him there.

The doctors filed out, as though they had simply given an injection for a vaccine or something.

China crawled over, feet not touching the ground, and started to stroke Hong Kong's hair.

Hong Kong let out a scratchy whimpering noise, and it looked like he was trying to cry, but couldn't. His face crumpled up and got red, but no tears came out.

China began to stroke his hair, singing a song that Australia didn't recognize. It sounded like a lullaby. Hong Kong wracked out dry sobs, sounding like a dying animal.

Good god, Australia hoped he wasn't dying. He took Hong Kong's hand in his, not knowing what else to do.

Japan couldn't possibly be this cruel… could he?

/AN/ This is an alternate history where Australia gets captured by Japan because America never entered the war because Pearl Harbor didn't happen.

Expect some historyish stuff, like there was some pretty sick stuff going on in Imperial Japan, but a lot of this is fantasy as well.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Hetalia! end/AN/

Hong Kong would croak every so often, and words would come out in dry whispers, but he was having a hard time holding on.

Australia had been cradling him for the past few hours, with China stroking his hair, though he'd long gone silent. There was a deadness to his eyes, as if this was something he saw everyday.

Hong Kong tried to croak again, and his face was red, and his body weak.

"No, sh, come on, there's a big boy," Australia said, glad that China wasn't crying over it. He could only imagine how maddening it would be to Hong Kong to see tears on someone else. He gently took Hong Kong's hand, which was already feeling papery.

If it had been another circumstance, Hong Kong would have gotten annoyed at being called a 'big boy.' As he'd repeated time and again before the war, "I'm not a child. Don't treat me like one."

China looked like his arms would fall off at any minute. He didn't say anything encouraging, the line of his mouth grim.

Hong Kong croaked once more, and his lip split as he tried to talk; blood oozed slowly out of it.

"We should put him out of his misery," China said, as if this was the merciful thing to do.

"What?" Australia stared dumbly, sure that China hadn't just said that. Hong Kong looked at them both fearfully, letting out a scratchy, whispering, 'No!'

China still had his hands on Hong Kong's head, and he gently covered his ears. "Australia, I've been here for months, if not a year. They won't stop tormenting him, because they don't realize the only way to kill a nation is by another nation's hand. He's too young to hold up for much longer; he's barely been here a month, and look at him; he's skin and bones, he's helpless, frail. What I'm suggesting is a mercy."

Hong Kong's paper dry hands grasped at China's wrists, but he couldn't push him off.

Australia gaped. "You can't be serious! I would never kill Hong Kong! We're going to make it out, you'll see!"

China's face turned to a grimace, as he said, "You're the only one who can save him from this, Australia. I'm not strong enough; he'll fight me, and I won't be able to finish it."

Hong Kong's dark eyes were on both of them, as if trying to figure out what they were saying.

Australia nearly yelled at China, "You can't make me, you crazy bastard! Stop it, you're scaring Hong Kong!"

China removed his hands from Hong Kong's ears, mouth set in a grim line. "You'll see. When you lose your strength, you're going to wish you'd done something."

Australia pulled Hong Kong closer, as the colony made whimpering noises and tried to clutch Australia's sleeve.

"Wait. How does Japan not know?" Australia said, brow crinkling.

"He hasn't attempted to kill another nation. Not yet. And he is much too busy for them to think of having him try," China said, then he sighed again. "He's attempted, in the past, with Korea, but he was unsuccessful." His tone seemed to suggest Korea's luck would not last.

Australia could feel his emotions boiling over; he glared at China's apparent indifference, saying, "You're a crazy bastard if you think I'll kill anyone. And I'm not going to get weak. You'll see, England will come for us."

China gave him a look that could only be described as an adult looking down on a petulant child. "England is busy. He has his own battles to win. He may come for you, someday, but it'll be far too late by then."

Australia held Hong Kong tightly, murmuring to him, "It'll be all right; England'll come. He'll come."

China said nothing more.

* * *

By the next day, Hong Kong felt very hot to the touch. He couldn't choke out any words, and his lips were cracked and oozing blood whenever he tried.

Much to Australia's surprise, China was there for Hong Kong; he continually ran his hands through his hair, something that seemed to soothe Hong Kong to some extent. It was as though he couldn't kill Hong Kong himself, despite having been so sure that Australia ought to.

When the doctors showed up again, voicing what appeared to be disapproval of the fact that Hong Kong wasn't dead, Australia burned with anger.

They went after China next, unwrapping his feet, which turned out to be covered in reddish bumps and purple bruises. China laid on the ground and stared at the ceiling, only wincing when they injected him through his feet.

"What are they doing?" Australia demanded, watching anxiously.

China grimaced, saying, "They can't use my arms and legs anymore, so they go for my feet."

His teeth were gritted, and he looked almost as though, if he weren't so apathetic at this point, he would kick the doctors in the face.

They drew back, and this time they approached Australia.

He clenched his fists, ready to fight. "Like hell you're doing that to me!"

But guards surged towards him and pinned him, despite his howling in anger. Another injection for him; he cursed out the doctors, the guards, anyone he could.

The needle was thick, and they injected through his neck; amazingly, they bothered to put a bandage over the injection site. Nothing felt wrong, strangely enough.

When the doctors and guards left the room, Australia was quick to be by China and Hong Kong. "China? Are you dying?"

China let out a groan, rewrapping his feet. "Poison," he said shortly, looking rather green in the face.

Australia nodded, saying, "I don't feel different."

"And you won't until it takes effect," China replied, pulling Hong Kong's head into his lap once more. It was as if carding his hair was all that kept China sane.

Australia licked his lips nervously.

It was only hours later that he realized just how serious this attempt to kill him was.

/AN/ I hope this is going okay. It's definitely not quite like any story I've written.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Hetalia! end/AN/

By the third time that Australia had thrown up, he was sure there was nothing left to throw up. Green and blue crackled at the edges of his vision, and he gasped for air. The whole world looked like a crazy movie screen, tilting and whorling away from him as he crawled on the ground.

"Hong Kong," he muttered, pawing the ground looking for him.

Crazy foreign words filtered through, sounding like the pronouncements of a witch to Australia. He shook and shuddered, whimpering, "England, Wales, Zea… somebody…"

He lost his train of thought partway through, and he felt the concrete floor pressing cold up through his hands and knees.

A face appeared in front of his, and it was speaking in words he would normally understand, but they seemed distorted by the strange shapes the man's lips made.

Hands cupped his face, as the man repeated something, so calmly Australia was sure that he should be able to understand and stop having his breath whistle in and out of his lungs.

One of the hands stroked his hair; beyond the man (China. It was China…) he could see a pile of red, and it oozed through his hot brain that Hong Kong wore red. China was wearing a uniform, but Hong Kong was a civilian…

He lurched forward, falling into China. Again, caught him, smoothing back his hair and saying something. As his whole stomach seemed to try to force its way up his esophagus, Australia whimpered, and clung to China. He wanted England, or Scotland, or Wales, Zea… He could even stand Ireland right then.

China clutched him, and rubbed his back as he sobbed raggedly with the pulsing, gnarled feeling of his insides.

He didn't remember anything else after that.

* * *

When Australia finally woke, his head buzzed and his mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. He licked his lips, trying to bring moisture back.

"I knew you wouldn't die," China commented, and right then, he had Hong Kong's head in his lap. "But I believe now you have a better understanding of what it is like here."

Australia shakily put himself up on his arms. His voice came out scratchy. "What did they do to me?"

"Poisoned you," China said simply. "If you didn't notice, you're lying a puddle of your own piss. You may well have 'died' in the human way, but your country's still strong, so you didn't truly die."

He realized he didn't just stink of urine; he smelled heavily of sweat as well. "Do they do this every day?"

"They'll try a new poison tomorrow, I'm sure," China said, and his eyes were sharp. "Now you understand why you have to kill Hong Kong."

"I'm not-!" he paused for a moment for a shudder to go through him. "I'm not killing Hong Kong!"

China's eyes became venomous. "Will you only understand once you're too weak? I would kill Hong Kong if I could, to put him out of his misery, but I fucking can't, so you have to do it!"

Australia came crawling over, and he could see that Hong Kong's eyes were closed. "Is he sleeping?"

China gently pulled Hong Kong's limp hands up to his slightly rising and falling chest. "If you can call it sleep. His body can't handle the extreme dehydration, so he's unconscious. He can't die, and you know that."

His face was red, but his brow was papery dry, Australia realized, as he felt it. He swallowed thickly, saying, "England will come…"

"England is busy a world away! He doesn't care what happens in Asia or Oceania!" China snapped.

"He will come!" Australia snapped back, saying hotly, "He cares about us, about me and Hong Kong. He won't just leave us!"

"Oh? And who did he send when Hong Kong was under attack? Did he come himself, or did he send poorly trained Canadian troops to be vanquished?" China said in a poisonous tone. "And for you; did he send his own troops, or did he pull them out of the corners of his empire?"

"India," Australia admitted. But then he clenched his jaw. "But it doesn't mean he doesn't care! If he didn't care, he wouldn't send anyone!"

"Or he'd send who he could spare to put a up a good show," China said bitterly. "None in the world care what is going on in Asia; Japan has been brutally taking us down. First he took Taiwan, then Korea; and you know what? He's even extending his claws towards Mongolia and Vietnam. Of course, Russia gives a shit about Mongolia, unlike the rest of us, so he might make it out, but the rest of us have none who can spare troops or want to!"

His tirade had gradually gotten louder and louder, until, abruptly, he coughed up blood. It dribbled down his chin and onto his uniform, where similar stains lay.

"England cares about me," Australia said stubbornly, "And I'm not killing Hong Kong!"

"You have no idea… you just have no idea," China muttered, mopping his chin with his sleeve.

Australia didn't say anything else.

/AN/ I have nothing against Ireland, btw. Also, references to history! Yay! Russia was Mongolia's ally at that point, so the Japanese couldn't get into there, despite attempts to do so. Hong Kong was defended by Canadian troops, most of whom hadn't seen battle yet. It was a slaughter, though far more of civilians than soldiers.

Indians, as far as I am aware, did not come to aid the Australians.


End file.
